Wire wheel truing machine and method



Nov. 6, 1934. (3l EKSERG|AN ET AL 1,980,129

WIRE WHEEL TRUING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Sept. 5, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheetl` 4l .35 f4 ?5 o 2529 .94

.d5-a 3l 32 INVENToRs (bem a5 .E/ffem/ BY 055D f'. .6M/TH ATTORNEY.

NOV 6, 1934. c. L. EKSERGIAN ET AL WIRE WHEEL TRUING MACHINE AND METHODFiled Sept. 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 0.950 E. .5M/7H A TTORNE Y.

Nov. 6, 1934. c, l.. EKsERGlAN ET AL 1,980,129

WIRE WHEEL TRUING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Sept. 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet5 INVENTORS (han a5 L E/rfEE/H/v @also E Mm-l c 4L/917.1* ATTORNEY.

Nov. 6,1934. c, l.. EKSERGIAN ET Al.

WIRE WHEEL TRUING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed sept. 5, i950 4 Sheets-Sheet4 IN VEN TORJ` 6060105 L. [rsf-@6MM afa E .5M/IH ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE WIRE WHEEL TRUING MACHINE AND METHODCarolus Eminem ma obed E. smith, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Budd WheelCompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvanla ApplicationSeptember 5, 1930, Serial No. 479,818

/ Claims.

Our invention pertains to the art of truing wire wheels and it has beenour object to provide a machine and method for performing this operationwhich shall be simple, effective and inex- 5 pensive.

It has been a particular object of our invention to provide a machinefor tensioning wire wheels in which an absolutely uniform tension iseffected in every individual. spoke, thereby insuring the lortrueness ofthe wheel. A further object of our invention has been to secure the huband rim in rigid concentric relationship during the aforesaid tensioningoperation. l

We have further aimed to provide a machine which is adaptable to varioustypes and sizes of wheels and designed in such a manner that its partsmay be easily replaced.

A further object of our invention relates. to a method and mechanism formounting a plurality of individual spoke tensioning mechanisms inconcentric relationship about a rigidly held wheel body and actuatingthese spoke tensioning mechanisms by yielding pressure simultaneously.The actuation of these mechanisms by yielding pressure insures an equaltensioning in each of the spokes, as the tensioning mechanism ceases tofunction as soon as the spokes attain a tension equal to that of theyielding force tending to tension them.

In order to secure the above advantages we have mounted a plurality ofyieldingly operated motors in the nature of air drills about theperiphery of the wheel and devised yielding mechanism to force them intoengagement with the 35 nipples of the spokes to be tensioned and rotatethese nipples to tension the spokes equally. These motors are actuatedfrom a common pressure source and are thus each subject to the samepressure. We are thus able to^produce an equal 40 tension in every spokeof the wheel.

Other objects and advantages of vthe invention will be obvious from areading of the sub-joined specication in the light of the attacheddrawings in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved machine;

Figure 2 is a detail View of certain of the spoke tensioning mechanisms.

Figure 3 isa cross section on the line 3-3 of 50 Fig. 2, illustratingthe method of mounting one of my improved air motors.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the head of my machine withparts omitted and parts shown in elevation for the sake of .clearness.

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view cured to the main bodyof the hub `by welding or othersuitable means. 'I'he rim 14 is connectedto the hub 11 by means of a series of spokes 15 which are provided ontheir outer ends with nipples 16 or other suitable securing means.

Thisl wheel body is supported at a suitable point such for example asupon the gutter of its rim upon a flange 18 of an annular casting 17 andclamped thereto by suitable means to be described hereinafter. Thiscasting 17 is also provided with a plurality of outer anges 19 and 20adapted to support the tools which are to be used in the tensioning ofthe spokes. 'I'hese castings are provided with taper drilled passagewaysas indicated at 21 to receive removably the casings of the tools andthese passageways communicate with cross passageways 23 adapted toreceive a Wedge shaped key to secure a xed portion 26 of the tool casingin place adjacent the Wheel.

This casing is designated in general by the numeral 24 and comprises acylindrical main body portion 25 and a front portion 26 adapted to besecured in proximity to the work as above set forth. The casing isprovided at its rear end with a head 27 which may be secured to the endof the casing body by bolts or other suitable means.A The casing ismachined at 28 and 29 to slidably receive cylindrical portions of thetool body. 'I'he tool for operating on the spoke nipples is indicated at30 and in the form of the invention disclosed constitutes a commercialtype of air motors. It drives in each case instead of a drill point, anipple driver 66.

An important feature of our invention resides in the mounting of thisair motor in such a manner that it is given a bodily reciprocation bythe same yielding force which causes the actuation of the tool whichtightens the spoke nipples. The casing 24 is cut away as indicated at 31to receive a guide screw 32 or roller bearing which is secured to thebody of the motor. By reason of this construction the motor mayreciprocate bodily but it cannot receive a bodily rotation. 'I'he motorhas a leather cup 83 secured to its rear end by means of a plurality ofbolts 34. This leather cup effects an airtight Joint between the motorand the cylindrical wall 29 of the casing.

The rear end of the motor is indicated at 35 and is provided with asleeve valve 37 which rotates with the tool head and thus effects anintermittent opening and closing of the respective ports leading to thecylinders of the motor. A sleeve 36 is fixed with respect to the motorand has ports Awhich communicate with the various ports in the sleevevalve 37 according to the point in the cycle of the operation, as iscommon practice in such motors. The conduit 43 communicates throughpassage 42 with air passageways 39-40 in the motor head which in turncommunicate with a third air passageway 41 to admit air into thecylindrical body of the motor casing behind the leatherl cup 33. Theflexible conduit 43 communicates with the main conduit 44 encircling andcommon to all of the motors.

According to our invention a plurality of these motors are arrangedabout the periphery of the wheel and operated simultaneouslyuponadmission of the air to the main conduit 44. They areremovedradially from the periphery of the wheel a sumcient distance tolaterally clear them of each other when aligned with the nipple or spokeaxes. as appears clearly in the plan views. Air is admitted by means ofa two way valve thus providing for exhaust of the air within thecylindrical chambers behind the leather cups 33. Upon admission of airto the motors through the conduits 43 and 44 a portion of the airadmitted flows through ports 39-41 and effects a forward movement of themotor within the casing. The nipple drivers 66 are thus moved intocontact with the spoke nipples. Air from the main conduit also flowsthrough other ports in the sleeve 37 through the sleeve/.36 into and outoi' the individual cylinders ofthe motor as indicated in Fig. 6 therebyeecting a rotation of the tool in the well known manner. As theconstruction of this motor per se and its valve mechanism is well knownand constitutes no part of my present invention, further descriptionthereof is deemed to be unnecessary.

After the nipples have been tightened an amount corresponding to thepressure in the system, the motors stall individually and the pressurein conduit 44 is released and the air from behind the leather cups 33exhausted through the port 38. This may be controlled by a two way valve(not shown) which controls the admission and exhaust of air to thesystem in a well known manner. A spring 45 provided within the chamber28, and reacting in the front bearing 45* and effects a reversereciprocation of' the drill in the casing upon the release of pressure.

We prefer to provide an operating tool for every nipple location on thewheel. 'Ihe simultaneous tensioning of all the spokes obviates thedifllculty commonly encountered in previous methods of spoke tensioningof pulling the hub shell away from its central location. As our improvedmachine and method involve a simultaneous tightening of all of thespokes of a `wheel there is no tendency of the hub shell to be pulledfrom its central location. Our system also involves a further markedadvantage over any prevlously evolved for this purpose in that thespokes are tightened by -yleldingly exerted pressure which is equal uponevery nipple. The nipples must therefore, of necessity, be equallytightened, (and the spokes also provide the torque, which torquedeveloped by the motors in stall, is sumciently in excess of thegreatest abnormal nipple resistance per se to minimize its influence onspoke tension and that such torque is not great enough to stress anywheel parts affected beyond its elastic limit), for the tighteningaction will cease as soon as a pre-determined tension equal to thepressure of the system is attained on each successive nipple. However,with ordinary care the normal resistances of the nipplesto turning canbe maintained very nearly equal, and in such cases the spoke tensionsareevenmore nearly equal. Our invention is therefore important. not onlybecause it effects a simultaneous tensioning of the spokes, but alsobecause this tensioning must of necessity lbe substantially equal uponevery spoke, far more nearly equal than with any hand tightening method.

The casting 17 is removably secured to a circular mounting plate 46which in turn is secured to the main framework 47 of the machine. Areciprocating shaft 48 operates in bushings in the mounting plate andframework and is secured at its lower end to a piston operating within acylinder 49. The reciprocation of this piston within 10() the cylinderis controlled by a two way valve 50 communicating with the upper andlower portions of the cylinder respectively. The valve 50 thus controlsthe reciprocation of the shaft 48 by controlling the flow of fluid fromthe conduit 1 51 to and from the cylinder 49. An annular head 52 ispinned to the shaft and this head is pivoted to a plurality of links 53which are in turn pivoted to arms 54 constituting parts of the pivoted`bell crank clamping levers 55 which are annularly 1 arranged about therim. They clamp the rim in position through its gutter or other suitablepart upon the annular flange 18 of the casting 17, by hooking over thegutter when the levers 55 are oscillated.

A second head 56 is secured to the shaft 48 and \is adapted toreciprocate within a chamber 64 in a sleeve 60. This sleeve is alsoprovided with a flange 61 and arms adapted to receive the pivot pins 62of the clamps 55.

The inner clamps 57 for the hub are pivoted to the head 56 and areprovided with slots 58 which receive pins 59 secured to an upper ange 65on the sleeve 60. The slots 58 are symmetrically offset intermediatetheir ends as respects 1 the axis of shaft 48 and the clamps 57- arethus oscillated by the reciprocatory motion of the head 56. The outerends of' clamps 57 are shaped at 57' to hook over the inner periphery ofthe bolt hole flange of the wheel. The sleeve 60 is 1 also provided atits outer end with a plurality of centering pins 63 with conical seatingshoulders adapted t0 be received within the bolt hole openings of thehub flange of the wheel and thus maintain the wheel in properly centeredposi- 1 wardly and the clamps 57 outwardly, the former 145 to hook byends 55 over the rim gutter and clamp it on its centering seat 48, andthe latter to hook by ends 57" over the inner periphery of the bolt holeflange of the hub shell and clamp the flange firmly d own onto thecentering bolt hole studs 63. 15o

In the operation of the machine a wheel having the spokes secured inplace and the nipples loosely attached to the outer ends of the spokesis/iirst placed in position upon the flange 18 of the annular casting17. The valve 50 is then manipulated to effect a clamping of the hub andrim members in their respective positions. The main control valve of themachine (not shown) is next manipulated to admit air under pressure tothe main conduit 44 and within every one of the conduits 43simultaneously. This effects a simultaneous forward movement of everyone of the motors within its casing anda simultaneous rotation of everyone of the nipple driver tools 66 operated thereby. This rotationcontinues with respect to every tool until that tool has effected atension in the spoke upon which it operates which corresponds to thepressure in the system. As every tool operates upon its respective spokein this same manner, the tension upon all of the spokes will accordinglybe the same. When the tensioning operation has been completed, themaster valve for the conduit 44 is again manipulated to allow a reversereciprocation of the motors and the expulsion of air from behind the cup33. After the return of the motors to their initial position, the valve50 is manipulated to force the shaft 48 upwardly and thus release thewheel. The completely tensioned wheel may now be removed and a new oneinserted in its place, whereupon the cycle of operations is repeated.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that our invention is notnecessarily limited to a machine in which nipples of the particular typehere shown are used. The nipples or tightening threads might, forexample, be associated with the inner ends of the spokes and the spokestensioned by the manipulation of suitably formed heads formed directlyupon the outer ends of the spokes.

It will also be obvious that our improved drill casing arrangement maybe used in other connections, such for example, as in the drilling ofthe rim to produce holes for the spokes or in other similar simultaneousrotary operations. We do not therefore wish to be limited to theparticular application of this improved arrangement disclosed in thedrawings, and we have accordingly attempted to express in the claims thegeneric spirit of our invention.

Various other modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the artand We do not therefore wish to be limited in the subjoined claimsexcept as interpreted in the light of the generic spirit of ourinvention.

What we claim is:

1. The method of truing a vehicle wheel consisting of a hub member, arim member, a plurality of circular series of spokes interconnectingsaid hub and rim, which comprises simultaneously and uniformlytightening by equalized fluidv pressure all of the spokes of each givenseries individually.

2. The method of truing a vehicle wheel consisting of a hub member, arim member, a plurality of circular series of spokes interconnectingsaid hub and rim, which comprises simultaneously and uniformlytightening by equalized fluid pressure all of the spokes of all of saidseries.

3. The method of truing a vehicle wheel consisting of a hub member, arim member, a plurality of spokes interconnecting said hub and rim whichcomprises simultaneously and uniformly tightening all of said spokesindividually by equall for simultaneously tightening by equalized fluidpressure all of the spokes of one of said series individually while thewheel is so held.

5. A machine of the class described comprising means for clamping avehicle wheel consisting of hub and rim members interconnected by spokesand means for simultaneously tightening by equalized fluid pressure allof said spokes individually while the wheel is so held.

6. A machine of the class described comprising means for clamping avehicle wheel consisting of hub and rim members interconnected by aplurality of circular series of spokes and yielding means forsimultaneously tightening by equalized uid pressure all of the spokes ofone of said series individually while the wheel is so held.

7. A machine of the class described comprising means for clamping avehicle wheel consisting of hub and rim members interconnected by aplurality of circular series of spokes, and fluid pressure operatedmeans for simultaneously and by equalized pressure tightening all of thespokes of one of said series individually while the wheel is so held.

8. A machine of the class described comprising means for clamping avehicle wheel consisting of hub and rim members interconnected by aplurality of circular series of spokes provided with nipples, andpneumatic means for simultaneously and by equalized pressure tighteningall of the spokes of one of said series individually while the wheel isso held.

9. A machine of the class described comprising means for supporting ahub and rim and spokes loosely connecting the hub and rim, means forclamping said hub and rim to said support, means for tightening screwthreaded elements associated with the spokes connecting said hub i andrim, said tightening means including a tool rotated by uid pressure totighten each of the screw threadedv elements, and means for supplyingfluid at the same pressure to each of said tools.

10. A machine of the class described comprising means for supporting ahub and rim, and spokes loosely connecting the hub and rim, means forclamping said hub and rim to said support, means for tightening screwthreaded elements associated with the spokes connecting said hub andrim, said tightening means including a tool rotated by fluid pressure totighten each screwthreaded element, and means for supplying fluid at thesame pressure to each of said tools including a main supply lineencircling said tools, and short connecting lines between each of saidtools and said main supply line.

CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN.

OBED E. SMITH.

